Get back to me form
We’ll answer your questions

How would you prefer us to contact you?

By EmailBy Phone

Help scientists untangle the complex relationships between caterpillars, the plants they eat, the wasps and flies that eat them, and the changes in climate that will reshape forest and desert ecosystems.

On this Earthwatch expedition, you’ll search forests for caterpillars and take specimens to the lab for state-of-the-art chemical analysis and observation. Prepare to be dazzled by the array of shapes and colors that caterpillars come in, most of which serve as natural defenses against their predators. You may even find a new species—it’s happened before.

Earthwatch teams have collected data on more than 9,500 species of both caterpillars and the wasps and flies, called parasitoids, that kill the caterpillars by laying eggs in them (this gives their offspring a safe, food-rich place to grow). Caterpillars and parasitoids live in a delicate balance, one that climate change could destroy. For one thing, this research has shown that warmer temperatures speed up caterpillar growth. This means that parasitoids can’t use them as hosts because their life cycles are out of synch, and the parasitoids die off. With fewer parasitoids to keep them in check, caterpillars breed like crazy and decimate their food plants.

Loss of biodiversity—the variety of living things on Earth—is the ultimate price of such imbalances. On this expedition, you will help preserve the complex, wondrous variety of plant and animal life while working with some surprisingly fascinating creatures.

The facts

Location

Lead scientists

Accommodation and food

Why the research is important

Why the research is important

Some caterpillars can eat up to 27,000 times their body weight in just few weeks. If they become too plentiful, they can wipe out their host plants.

The warmer temperatures and stronger storms expected from climate change could make it impossible for parasitoids to keep caterpillars in check.

To effectively protect and manage diminishing natural ecosystems, we need as much information as possible about the interactions of organisms within ecosystems, especially organisms as diverse and important as caterpillars and parasitoids.

A student getting up close to find caterpillars

Earthwatch researchers and volunteers have scoured deserts and forests in the U.S., Ecuador, and Costa Rica for thousands of specimens and have logged a wealth of data on how different species relate to one another. This information benefits both local communities and other scientists, but preserving biodiversity is perhaps the most important result. Nature provides crucial services for humans—food, water, income, temperature regulation—that climate change will certainly reshape.

Help these scientists find out what the future holds by testing what happens when the balance between species is thrown off. In one experiment, scientists and volunteers removed caterpillars completely from a few forest patches. Fifteen months later, those areas had 40% fewer plant species than the surrounding forest. Plants that would have otherwise been controlled by their predators—caterpillars—drove others out of existence.

About the research area

This is an exciting project because research is being conducted at five different locations around the world: Florida, Nevada, Arizona, Ecuador, and Costa Rica. In all five locations you will have the opportunity to spend time in the local forest gathering and identifying caterpillars and the plants they feed on. You may also conduct experiments or spend time in the laboratory raising caterpillars and working on chemical analyses.

In Florida your team will work in the forests around Eglin Air Force Base in the panhandle of Florida. The base has maintained over 180,000 hectares of longleaf pine forest, which accounts for over half of the remaining old growth forest in the United States.

In Nevada you will conduct caterpillar research in the fore and desert communities associated with the Sagehen Creek Research Station and the Galena Creek Lodge in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the adjacent Great Basin Desert.

In Arizona you will start at the Southwest Research Station (SWRS), which is located in the Chiricahua Mountains surrounded by woodlands of oak, juniper, and pinyon pine trees. Then you will move to the Santa Rita Experimental Range (SRER), which is one of the five oldest field stations in America and scientists have been conducting research here for over 100 years.

In Ecuador you will be based at the Yanayacu Biological Station and Center for Creative Studies (www.yanayacu.org), which is situated at the equator on the eastern slope of the Andes, three to four hours from Quito.

In Costa Rica you will be based at La Selva in the Caribbean lowlands of Costa Rica near the town of Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui and conduct research in the tropical forest an and abandoned pasture and cacao plantations.

Upon arrival, you’ll receive a safety briefing and a presentation on the research area and the research process. Field work will begin on Day 2, where project staff will introduce and demonstrate each new task; and work with you until you’re comfortable with any new activities. You will:

Hike to collect caterpillars. You’ll spend most of your time in the field gathering caterpillars and food plants, which will give you lots of opportunities to hike on and off trail. Field staff will give you plenty of tips on how to find these small creatures. You’ll also hike to previously located sites where food plants grow to gather leaves to feed the caterpillars being reared in the lab.

Examine caterpillars in the lab. Back at the research station, you’ll help sort through the caterpillars collected in the field, checking them for parasitoids and either releasing them or putting them in the caterpillar “zoo” for further study. You’ll also help conduct fascinating experiments and chemical analyses.

When you're not working with caterpillars, you'll have at least a half day of recreational time. During most late afternoons you can relax, socialize, and enjoy the sights. In the evenings, you’ll have discussion and planning time (e.g., staff presentations, scientific films, data analysis).

Note: Field conditions and research needs can lead to changes in the itinerary and activities. We appreciate your cooperation and understanding.

MEET THE LEAD SCIENTIST

ABOUT Lee Dyer

Accommodations and Food

Accommodations and Food

TBC

Nevada: Sagehen Creek Research Station hosts scientists from all over the country studying the ecology, behavior, and evolution of many different organisms in the area. There is a shared refrigerator in the kitchen area if you have some food you’d like to keep cold, but no food is allowed in the cabins. This is an important precautionary measure that insures that wildlife will not try to enter the sleeping quarters. There are several nice hiking trails near the station grounds.

Florida: We will be staying just over the state line at the Solon Dixon Forestry Education Center in Andalusia, Alabama (http://sdfec.auburn.edu/index.html). Solon Dixon is a field station managed by Auburn University. Solon Dixon Forestry Education Center has a large, multi-purpose room that will be used as a laboratory and meeting space. The staff at Solon Dixon Forestry Education Center will prepare all meals. Special menus are available to fit the needs of vegetarians and those with food allergies.

Arizona: You will spend time at both the Southwestern Research Station (SWRS; www.research.amnh.org/swrs/) and the Santa Rita Experimental Range (SRER; www.ag.arizona.edu/SRER/), both of which house scientists from all over the country studying the ecology, behavior, and evolution of many different organisms in the area. You will sleep in cabins and share single-sex rooms. At SRER you will help to prepare meals alongside the team staff. Kitchen staff at SWRS will prepare traditional American meals for you. Vegetarian meals can be prepared.

Ecuador: The Yanayacu Biological Station (http://www.yanayacu.org/) hosts scientist from all over the world. You will share single-sex dormitory-style rooms which are outfitted with bunk beds. The station has hydroelectric power that is usually operational at 120 volts, but sometimes electricity is limited or unavailable. Meals will be cooked by field station staff and will include delicious Latin American meals, which are often meatless. Everyone eats together in a large outdoor dining room.

Costa Rica: You’ll split your time between La Selva Biological Station and the more rustic Tirimbina Rain forest Center, deep in the forest. You’ll share rooms with bunk beds at both places. Talented cooks will prepare traditional Latin American fare - lots of rice, beans, and fresh fruit - at La Selva. At Tirimbina, you’ll help prepare meals alongside other international visitors.

“Summer in the Cloud Forest”

The climate change and caterpillars fellowship was a very pleasant surprise. Originally I was scheduled to go to Tucson, AZ in July but I received an email asking if I would be willing to go to Ecuador in June. Having lived in Arizona previously I did not hesitate to change from 120F to the cool temperatures of the cloud forest! I did not know what to expect in Ecuador as I had never travelled there before. Ecuador is a very beautiful country. I made sure to arrive a week before the expedition so that I could sightsee and visit as many places as I could. I also stayed for a few days after the expedition to take in more of the natural beauty. I had the opportunity to learn about colonial Quito, hike along beautiful volcanoes such as Quilotoa and Cotopaxi, visit many small towns known for their textile, leather or pottery handicrafts. I was mesmerized by natural cascades and delighted with new smells and tastes from local dishes.

The expedition itself was a window into how environmental scientists conduct research on site. The lush greenery at the Yanamacu Biological Station was amazing! I am not a morning person and I found myself waking up before dawn so that I could watch all the different types of birds. I was surprised how close I could get to them. Andrea Glassmire and Danielle Saucido (the graduate students) were amazing resources of information and convey a passion for their work that is infectious. I'd like to return someday!